The invention relates to egg handling systems and more particularly to an apparatus for orienting eggs for use in such a system.
Apparatuses for orienting eggs are, for instance, used in machines for grading and/or packaging eggs and similar egg handling systems where it is required that all the eggs supplied initially to the machine in random positions be uniformly oriented with their blunt ends facing in the same direction, such as the direction of forward movement of the eggs through the machine, before being further processed. A known type of egg orienting apparatus, as for instance described in applicant's prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 504,526, filed June 15, 1983, comprises egg conveying means including a driven endless roller chain having a plurality of equally spaced rollers adapted to support successive eggs therebetween which rollers are rotated about their axes while the chain advances the eggs whereby the eggs will be shifted laterally in the direction of their acute ends in a manner well-known. Longitudinally extending vertical guide plates are arranged above the roller chain to define a track for the eggs therebetween of a width greater than the length of the eggs to be processed, which guide plates thus limit the lateral movement of the eggs in the one or the other direction caused by their rotation. The guide plates have at their downstream ends adjacent the end of the track a projection or stop projecting laterally into the track whereby the eggs advancing through the track with their acute ends sliding along the one or the other of the guide plates will, when reaching the end of the track, contact with their acute end the stop on the guide plate concerned and will thereby be swung around to a position with their longitudinal axes generally directed perpendicularly to the rollers of the chain with their blunt ends facing forwardly and downwardly to be caught in a receiving cup member or the like. This type of egg orienting apparatus has the disadvantage that the stops projecting inwardly into the track from the guide plates decrease the width of free passage for the eggs whereby eggs of large size may get stuck. According to another known egg orienting device as disclosed in the Netherlands Pat. No. 132,757, the rotating rollers of the moving roller chain have enlarged ends to limit the lateral displacement of the eggs supported on these rollers and a downwardly sloping chute member arranged immediately downstream of the roller chain which chute has converging side walls such that the eggs are caused to slide down the chute with their blunt ends forwardly towards a midposition to be received by a second roller chain. Movable detaining means are provided to engage the successive eggs reaching the chute and to brake their falling movement. This known orienting device has the disadvantage of a complicated and costly structure requiring much space. The presence of the detaining means prevents the second roller chain from being arranged closely downstream of the first roller chain whereby the height of fall of the eggs is still relatively great with the consequent risk of damage to the egg shells.